Source: LM
Context: A viral video on social media shows the formation of spectacular clouds known as shelf clouds or Arcus clouds during heavy monsoon rains in Haridwar, India.
- The video, shared on Twitter, depicts a towering wall of clouds with a horizontal rotation. The authenticity of the video has not been independently confirmed.
About Shelf Clouds:
Shelf clouds are wedge-shaped formations that appear on the leading edge of storms. They occur when cold and dense air is forcefully driven into a warmer air mass during the downdraft of a thunderstorm.
How it is formed?
Shelf clouds form when warm, moist air is lifted rapidly by an advancing thunderstorm or cold front. As the warm air rises, it cools and condenses, forming a cloud. The rising air creates a boundary between the cool, downdraft air from the storm and the warm, updraft air ahead of it. The shelf cloud is usually dark and ominous-looking due to the condensation and the presence of rain or hail within the storm.
